1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure generally relates to player interface controls for gaming machines and, more particularly, to a system for improving player interfaces by augmenting a flat touch screen game control panel to provide palpable/tangible features to an otherwise featureless surface.
2. The Prior Art
Playing gaming machines is an enjoyable pastime for many people. Gaming machines include machines that are typically operated by a user by inserting coins, tokens, credit cards, smart cards, tickets or coupons with monetary value. The machines may include, e.g., slot machines, pinball machines, video games and computer stations for playing games alone or with other users, such as bingo, card games and the like. The machines may operate based on both luck and the user's skill. Such gaming machines may be located in casinos, video arcades, gas stations, bars or any other location. The gaming machines may be used for gambling, where the user receives a monetary or other prize when the machine pays off, or simply for amusement.
Historically, electronic gaming/wagering machines have provided players with user interfaces for placing bets and initiating game play that are composed of physical buttons. These buttons are typically composed of a spring and plunger mechanism that actuates an electronic switch. As technology has progressed, the use of touch screens over the main video display has allowed players to interact with the wagering game by touching the video screen. In most cases, these machines have retained the physical button panel and its array of push button switches.
More recently, wagering machines have been introduced that use video display with a touch screen interface to replace the physical button panel. While this has enabled machines that are more configurable electronically, it has done so at the expense of the player experience. Touch screen interfaces over video displays are built on flat substrates, typically glass. As a result, the player has no palpable reference point to locate graphic touch areas and must rely on visual location.
This can be a disadvantage since to make a visual reference; the player must take their focus off the main gaming display and look at the button panel to ensure they are touching the correct area. In looking at the button panel they are taking their focus off the wagering game. This is something that is not a problem with traditional button panels since players have a raised physical button that they can use touch to maintain a reference point and do not need to take their focus off the main video display.
Accordingly, there is a need for, and the present disclosure provides a system to overcome the above limitations.